Outage-gage.



C. F.- EHRENTRAUT. OUTAGE GAGE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.27, 1917. 1,275,409. Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

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CHARLES F. EHBENTRAUT, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

OUTAGE-GAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

Application filed August 27, 1917. Serial No. 188,302.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CEiARLEs F. EHREN- TBAU'I, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Pittsburgh, inthe county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inOutage-Gages, of which the fol-' ment of such liquids in the usualcylindri-- cal tank oars provided with the ordinary dome, there occursmore or less shrinkage due to evaporation, leakage, etc., known asoutage. Under certain circumstances, there 1s also at times an apparentaccretion of liquid, due to expansion known as domea e.

The invention comprises an indicating mechanism adapted to be located inthe tank.

car, utilizing a float which assumes the level of the liquid when a restat all times, and which is so arranged as to be positively fixed inposition at the time that the cap of the dome is removed, when thecontents are discharged. The float is freely mounted within a holdingcasing and provided with a pointer operable in connection with aregistering scale, so that when thefloat is arrested at or before thetime of discharge of the contents, it will. accurately indicate thelevel of the liquid at the time of arrival of the car at itsdestination. The mechanism is so constructed as to be operable by thedome cap itself, upon unscrewing, and to be positively locked inposition, when thus set, so as to efl'ectually revent accidental releaseof the float. It is also preferably protected by a coping or cover whichprevents unauthorized tampering by the consignee. V

One preferred embodiment .of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View of a portion of atank car showing the invention as utilized;

ig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail view showing the float withinits'casing, partly broken away;

Fig. 3 is a face view in elevation of the casing;

' Fig. 4 is a plan view of the casing and the actuating mechanism forthe float looking device;

Fig. 5 is a similar view illustrating the ineffective action of thelever in screwing on the dome cap;

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the effective action in unscrewing thedome cap;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the float and the arresting shaft; and

Fig. 8 is a View in elevation of the upper portion of the float casingand its parts at right angles to Fig. 2, from the other side shown inFig. 3.

In the drawing, 2 represents the main body portion or tank of anordinary tank car provided with the usual dome 3. 4 represents the levelof the liquid therein as it may be after shipment, upon arriving at thepoint of destination, the space 0 indicating the outage, i. c., theshrinkage in the liquid below the top portion of the tank 2. Domeage,e'. 6., any increase above such level, is indicated by the line 6.Variations in either respect are indicatedby the rising and fallingfloat-5 and the mechanism hereinafter described.

Said float, which may be of any buoyant material as cork, or of an airtight sheet metal construction, is preferably cylindrical in form andfits freely within the interior of the cylindrical casing 6. Said casingrests on its base upon the bottom of the tank car, as indicated at 7 andmay be fixedly secured in place by any convenient means. The casing 6 isof sufiicient length to extend into the interior of the dome 3 adjacentits top, and is located toward one. side of the dome, as shown in Fig.1, whereby to locate the actuating lever 8 of the mechanism within thepathof a rotating pin 9 of cap 10. Said cap is ordinarily screwed intothe central portion of the top 3 of dome 3 and pin or abutment 9 islocated eccentrically of its center, as shown. I

Float 5 is centrally apertured vertically throughout its lengthproviding an opening 11 which preferably segmental in cross section, asshown in Fig. 7 providing for a range of lateral movement of the lockingpins 12 of a pin shaft or stem 13. Said stem is provided for partialrotat on at the bottom and top of easing 6, and n the top 14 thereof asindicated at 15. Pins 12 extend laterally in alinement throughout theoperative portion of the stem co-extensive with the range of movement offloat 5, and are adapted to be thrust around laterally and to engage,.inthe limited space between adjacent pins, an arresting late 16 at one orboth ends of the float. rdmar ly, the pins extend in a non-registeringdirection with relation to plates 16, as shown in Fig. 7 so that float 5is free to rise and fall within its casing, with the liquid contents ofthe tank car, except when stem 13 is thrust around, as indicated in Fig.6. In such case, the float is positively arrested, and 1ts position inthe casing is indicated by a pointer 17 with relation to a graduatedgage 18, at one side of a longitudinal clearance slot 0.

Stem 13 is provided with a lever arm 19 having a vertically adjustablelocking P111 20, normally pressed downwardly y a spring 21, and pin 20extends above the arm 19 roviding a bearing for the end of lever 8. .lin20 is adapted to ride over an inclined bearing 22 and to engage theabutment 25:), or an equivalent socket, when the arm 19 1s thrown aroundby lever 8', upon unscrewing cap 10. By this means teeth 12 engage lateor plates 16, arresting the float, an the mechanism is so locked. inposition that it cannot be released without first pulling up the pin 20.

Lever 8 is maintained normally in its middle position by springs 24, 24,and is ino erative to affect lever 19 when the cap 10 is screwed on,because the inner end of lever 8 in such case moves awa from the pin 20,resuming its normal centr position each time that pin 9 rides againstand beyond it, until the cap is screwed on tight. The first contact ofpin 9 with lever 8 in unscrewing, however, sets lever 19, rotatin stem13 and fixes the float, thus tem ora y locating it and indicating theleve of the contents at the time of removal of the cap.

After recoi'd is made of the height of the contents in the tank, it maybe emptied and lever arm 19 may be raised against the pressure of spring21 and re-set in normal position for the next operation.

In order to prevent unauthorized tam:- pering or readjustment of themechanism by the consignee, or others than the shipper or seller, Icover the upper portion of casing 6 and the actuating mechanism with acoping or cap 25 having a movable top 26 and a lock 27, The copingv iscut away, as at 28,

new,

dificulties of accurately determining or agreeing upon the amount ofloss or deterioration in shipment.

It automatically and positivel registers the level of the liquid so thaten stantially exact computation may be made of any variation in transit,either in excess or diminution.

The device may be changed or varied in design, construction, ordifferent details by the skilled mechanic, but all such changes arewithin the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is 1. A level indicator consisting of a casing having avertically and freely movable indicating float, a device for engaging,arresting and holding the float, and a lever adapted to engage andactuate said device.

2. A level indicator consisting of a casing having a vertically andfreely movable indicating float, a device for engaging, arresting andholding the float, and a lever adapted to engage .and actuate saiddevice in one direction and to be ineffective in a reverse direc tion ofmovement. 7

3. A level indicator consisting of a vertically arran ed slotted casinghaving a gage, a buoyant oat therein havmg a erforating opening andalocking cap, a r through said opening and provided with a series oflocking teeth, and means adapted to turn said rod.

4. A level indicator consisting of a vertically arranged slotted casinghaving a gage, a buoyant oat therein having a perforating openlng and alocking cap, a rod extending through said opening and provided with aseries of locking teeth, and a terminal lever, and a lever-operable toactuate said terminal lever.

5. A level indicator consisting of a vertically arran ed slotted casinghaving a gage, a buoyant oat therein having a perforating opening and alocking cap, a rod extending through said opening and provided with aseries of locking teeth, a terminal lever having a spring-retractedlocking pin, and a lever operable to engage said pin to actuate theterminal lever.

6. An outage gage for tank cars consisting of a vertical casing providedwith a buoyant float, a semi-rotatable stem exten through. the float andprovided with a series extending adapted to engage saidi of projectionsadapted to engage and hold the float upon rotation, and lever mechanismextending across and operable by the cap of the dome of the tank car.

7. An outage gage for tank cars consisting of a verticalcasing,provided, with a buoyant float havin an indicator, a gage on thecasing, a semi-rotatable stem exten ing through the float and providedwith a series of projections adapted to engage and hold the float uponrotation and a termi-' nal lever, a spring-retracted pin on said lever,and a separate 'lever;1voted to the casing having one arm exten g intorange of the lever pin and another arm extending across the cap of thetank car and into range of an abutment thereon.

8. In combination with a tank car having 9. In an outage of the class Idescribed, in combinatlon witha'semi-rotatable arresting stem and itslever havm a spring-retracted locking pin and a holding a utment forsaid pin, a lever operable in one direction to engage said pin androtate the arresting stem and to be thrown away therefrom on o' positemovement, a dome cap having an a utment operable to engage said lever ineither direction, and equalizing springs for said lever.

10.- A level indicator consisting of 9. casing having a verticallymovable indicating float, a device for arresting and holding the float,a lever adapted to engage and actuate said device, and a movably mountedabutment adapted to engage sa1d lever.

11. A level indicator conslstmg of a casing having a vertically movableindicating" float, a device for arresting and holding the float, a leveradapted to engage and actuate 60 said device in one direction and to beinably mounted abutment adapted to engage said lever in either directionof movement.

effective in a reverse direction, and a rotat-' In testimony whereof Ihereunto aflix my signature.

CHARLES F. EHRENTRAUT.

